1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an environment map generating apparatus, environment map generating method, and environment map generating program that generate an environment map showing the geometric form of an environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
To enable a robot to move automatically in a certain environment (such as an office or a factory), data showing the geometric form of the environment (for example, information showing how obstacles such as chairs and desks are laid out and showing the forms of such chairs and desks) is normally required. Such data showing the geometric form of an environment is called an “environment map”. An apparatus for generating such environment map is called an “environment map generating apparatus”. By reading an environment map into a robot, it becomes possible for the robot itself to prepare a route plan so that the robot will move while avoiding obstacles and the like. Accordingly, it is important to generate an environment map that corresponds to the actual environment.
As one example, T. Tsubouchi, A. Tanaka, A. Ishioka, M. Tomono, S. Yuta, “A SLAM Based Teleoperation and Interface System for Indoor Environment Reconnaissance in Rescue Activities”, IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Vol. 2, pp. 1096-1102, 2004 proposes a technology that lays out models of obstacles by superimposing the models at appropriate positions on a map (hereinafter simply “robot map”) generated based on measurement data produced by a laser distance sensor that measures the external form of the environment, obstacles, and the like. The technology disclosed by the above-described Non-Patent Document generates images where models of obstacles present in a space are viewed from above (hereinafter, such images are called “overhead images of obstacles”) and by having the user lay out such images so as to be superimposed on a robot map, an environment map is generated as coordinate data including two-dimensional information.